Fan tray system

ABSTRACT

A fan tray system includes a fan tray base that couples to a chassis and that includes fan system connector(s) for connecting to a fan system. A fan tray side wall includes fan system guide member(s) that align the fan system for connection to the fan system connector(s), and is connected to the fan tray base by a moveable coupling that allows relative movement between the fan tray side wall and the fan tray base. That relative movement allows the fan tray side wall to be positioned in a first orientation when the fan tray base is coupled to the chassis such that the fan tray side wall is positioned adjacent a chassis wall of the chassis and impedes access component(s) in the chassis. That relative movement also allows the fan tray side wall to be moved to a second orientation that allows access to the component(s) in the chassis.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to information handlingsystems, and more particularly to a fan tray system used in informationhandling systems.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individualsand businesses seek additional ways to process and store information.One option available to users is information handling systems. Aninformation handling system generally processes, compiles, stores,and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or otherpurposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of theinformation. Because technology and information handling needs andrequirements vary between different users or applications, informationhandling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled,how the information is handled, how much information is processed,stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the informationmay be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in informationhandling systems allow for information handling systems to be general orconfigured for a specific user or specific use such as financialtransaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage,or global communications. In addition, information handling systems mayinclude a variety of hardware and software components that may beconfigured to process, store, and communicate information and mayinclude one or more computer systems, data storage systems, andnetworking systems.

As information handling systems such as, for example, servers, continueto increase in computing power, the density of components within theserver chassis increases as well. As such, server manufacturers arefaced with the challenge of maximizing server feature sets in a limitedamount of available server chassis space. For example, it is desirableto provide for tool-less installation and removal of components in theserver chassis, as well as to minimize the steps needed to access thosecomponents in the server chassis. Furthermore, cable routing within theserver chassis is always a challenge with regard to finding paths in theserver chassis to route cabling, routing that cabling without impactingairflow, and accessing that cabling once it is routed. Conventional fantrays are provided in server chassis to allow for fan systems to becoupled to the server chassis, but fail to achieve many of the goals fordense server chassis discussed above.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved fan traysystem.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, an Information Handling System (IHS)includes a chassis that includes a chassis wall; a cable routedimmediately adjacent the chassis wall; a fan tray base that is coupledto the chassis; at least one fan system connector that is coupled to thefan tray base and that is configured to connect to a fan systemincluding at least one fan device; a fan tray side wall including atleast one fan system guide member that is configured to align the fansystem for connection to the at least one fan system connector; and amoveable coupling connecting the fan tray side wall to the fan traybase, wherein the moveable coupling is configured to allow relativemovement between the fan tray side wall and the fan tray base such that:the fan tray side wall may be positioned in a first orientation suchthat the fan tray side wall is positioned adjacent the chassis wall andimpedes access to the cable; and the fan tray side wall may be moved toa second orientation that is different than the first orientation andthat allows access to the cable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of an informationhandling system.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a chassis.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a fan system.

FIG. 4A is an exploded perspective view illustrating an embodiment of afan tray system.

FIG. 4B is an assembled perspective view illustrating an embodiment ofthe fan tray system of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C is a top view illustrating an embodiment of the fan tray systemof FIG. 4B.

FIG. 4D is a side view illustrating an embodiment of the fan tray systemof FIG. 4B with the fan tray side walls in a first orientation.

FIG. 4E is a side view illustrating an embodiment of the fan tray systemof FIG. 4B with the fan tray side walls in a second orientation.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method forproviding a fan tray system in a server chassis.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the fansystem of FIG. 3 and the fan tray system of FIGS. 4B-4E being positionedin the chassis of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6B is a perspective view illustrating the fan tray system of FIGS.4B-4E secured in the server chassis of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system mayinclude any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operableto compute, calculate, determine, classify, process, transmit, receive,retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, communicate, manifest,detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information,intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or otherpurposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personalcomputer (e.g., desktop or laptop), tablet computer, mobile device(e.g., personal digital assistant (PDA) or smart phone), server (e.g.,blade server or rack server), a network storage device, or any othersuitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality,and price. The information handling system may include random accessmemory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a centralprocessing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/orother types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of theinformation handling system may include one or more disk drives, one ormore network ports for communicating with external devices as well asvarious input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse,touchscreen and/or a video display. The information handling system mayalso include one or more buses operable to transmit communicationsbetween the various hardware components.

In one embodiment, IHS 100, FIG. 1, includes a processor 102, which isconnected to a bus 104. Bus 104 serves as a connection between processor102 and other components of IHS 100. An input device 106 is coupled toprocessor 102 to provide input to processor 102. Examples of inputdevices may include keyboards, touchscreens, pointing devices such asmouses, trackballs, and trackpads, and/or a variety of other inputdevices known in the art. Programs and data are stored on a mass storagedevice 108, which is coupled to processor 102. Examples of mass storagedevices may include hard discs, optical disks, magneto-optical discs,solid-state storage devices, and/or a variety other mass storage devicesknown in the art. IHS 100 further includes a display 110, which iscoupled to processor 102 by a video controller 112. A system memory 114is coupled to processor 102 to provide the processor with fast storageto facilitate execution of computer programs by processor 102. Examplesof system memory may include random access memory (RAM) devices such asdynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), solid state memorydevices, and/or a variety of other memory devices known in the art. Inan embodiment, a chassis 116 houses some or all of the components of IHS100. It should be understood that other buses and intermediate circuitscan be deployed between the components described above and processor 102to facilitate interconnection between the components and the processor102.

Referring now to FIG. 2, an embodiment of a chassis 200 is illustrated.In an embodiment, the chassis 200 may be the chassis 116 discussed abovewith reference to FIG. 1. While one of skill in the art in possession ofthe present disclosure will recognize the chassis 200 as a serverchassis, other types of chassis may benefit from the teachings of thepresent disclosure and thus are envisioned as falling within its scopeas well. In the illustrated embodiment, the chassis includes a bottomwall 202 a, a pair of substantially parallel side walls 202 b and 202 cthat extend substantially perpendicularly from opposite edges of thebottom wall 202 a, a front wall 202 d that extends substantiallyperpendicularly from an edge of the bottom wall 202 a and between theside walls 202 b and 202 c, and a rear wall 202 e that extends oppositethe bottom wall 202 a from the front wall 202 d and substantiallyperpendicularly from an edge of the bottom wall 202 a and between theside walls 202 b and 202 c. While not illustrated, one of skill in theart in possession of the present disclosure will recognize that thechassis 200 may include a top wall that is configured to couple to theedges of the side walls 202 b and 202 d, the front wall 202 d, and therear wall 202 e such that it is positioned opposite those walls from thebottom wall 202 a. The bottom wall 202 a, the side walls 202 b and 202d, the front wall 202 d, and the rear wall 202 e define a chassishousing 204 that is located between them and configured to housecomponents such as, for example, the IHS components of the IHS 100discussed above with reference to FIG. 1.

As discussed in detail below, a portion of the chassis housing 204 isprovided as a fan tray system housing 204 a. In the illustratedembodiment, a cable 205 is illustrated as being routed along the sidewall 202 b adjacent the fan tray system housing 204 a, but one of skillin the art in possession of the present disclosure will recognize thatother cabling, and/or other components may be located adjacent to thefan tray system housing 204 a while remaining within the scope of thepresent disclosure. Furthermore, while not discussed in detail below,one of skill in the art in possession of the present disclosure willrecognize that the remainder of the chassis housing may be configured tohouse boards (e.g., motherboards), processing systems (e.g., theprocessor 102 discussed above with reference to FIG. 1), memory systems(e.g., the system memory 114 discussed above with reference to FIG. 1),storage systems (e.g., the storage device 108 discussed above withreference to FIG. 1), communications subsystems, and/or a variety ofother chassis components known in the art. In the illustratedembodiment, the side wall 202 b of the chassis 200 includes a fan traysecuring feature 206 that is located adjacent the fan tray systemhousing 204 a and, while not explicitly illustrated, as discussed belowthe side wall 202 c of the chassis 200 may include a similar fan traysecuring feature as well. In the illustrated embodiment, a keying system208 is provided on the bottom wall 202 a of the chassis 200 by pegs thatextend from the bottom wall 202 a and into the fan tray system housing204 a. While only two pegs in the keying system 208 are illustrated, asdiscussed below, two additional pegs (e.g., obscured by the side wall202 c in FIG. 2) may be provided on the chassis 200. Furthermore, one ofskill in the art in possession of the present disclosure will recognizethat a variety of other types of keying features may be utilized toprovide the functionality of the keying system 208 discussed below.While a specific chassis 200 has been illustrated and described, one ofskill in the art in possession of the present disclosure will recognizethat a wide variety of chassis having a variety of different featureswill benefit from the teachings of the present disclosure and thus fallwithin its scope as well.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an embodiment of a fan system 300 isillustrated. In the illustrated embodiment, the fan system 300 includesa fan device chassis 302 that defines a plurality of fan device housings302 a, 302 b, 302 c, and 302 d. In the illustrated embodiment, the fandevice chassis 302 includes securing handles 303 that are rotatablycoupled to opposite sides of the fan device chassis 302 and configuredto provide for both of the supporting of the fan device chassis 302, andthe securing of the fan device chassis in the fan tray system discussedbelow (e.g., via cam elements 303 a on the securing handles 303.) Thefan system also includes a plurality of fan devices 304 a, 304 b, 304 c,304 d, 304 e, 304 f, 304 g, and 304 h, pairs of which are configured tobe housed in the fan device housings 302 a-d defined by the fan devicechassis 302 (i.e., when moved in the direction A illustrated in FIG. 3.)While not discussed in detail, one of skill in the art in possession ofthe present disclosure will recognize that the fan device chassis 302and/or the fan devices 304 a-h may include securing members for securingthe fan devices 304 a-d in the fan device housings 302 a-d, that the fandevices 304 a-h may include connectors (not illustrated) that areconfigured to be accessed through the fan device chassis 302 when thefan devices 304 a-h are positioned in the fan device housings 302 a-d,that the fan device chassis 302 may include keying features for ensuringproper orientation of the fan devices 304 a-h in the fan device chassis302 a-d, and/or that the fan system 300 may include a variety of otherfan system features known in the art.

Referring now to FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E, an embodiment of a fantray system 400 is illustrated. The fan tray system 400 includes a fantray base 402 having a front edge 402 a, a rear edge 402 b that islocated opposite the fan tray base 402 from the front edge 402 a, and apair of opposing side edges 402 c and 402 d that extend between thefront edge 402 a and the rear edge 402 b. In addition, the fan tray base402 defines a plurality of keying elements 402 e that, in theillustrated embodiment, are provided by spaced apart apertures that aredefined by the fan tray base 402 and that extend through the fan traybase 402. In the illustrated embodiment, the side edge 402 a of the fantray base 402 defines a plurality of cable apertures 403 that areconfigured to allow the routing of cables (e.g., system cables,discussed below) past the fan tray base 402. As discussed below, cableapertures plugs 403 a may be provided to block airflow through cableapertures 403 that are not being used to route cables. Furthermore,groups of fan device connectors 404 are coupled to respective systemconnectors 406 by cabling, and are mounted to the fan tray base 402 viaconnector mounts 408 that allow the fan device connectors 404 to extendfrom the fan tray base 402. While not explicitly described in detail,one of skill in the art in possession of the present disclosure willrecognize how the fan tray base 402 includes features for securing theconnectors 404 and 406 and routing the cabling between those connectors404 and 406, only some of which are illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4E. Forexample, the fan tray system 400 of the illustrated embodiment includescable routing members 410, a subset of which are configured to gather,clip, or otherwise provide for the routing of cables connecting the fandevice connectors 404 and the system connectors 406 through the fan traysystem 400 in an organized manner, although the use of the cable routingmembers 410 for other cabling subsystems (e.g., cabling extendingthrough the housing 204 of the chassis 200) will fall within the scopeof the present disclosure as well.

The fan tray system 400 also includes fan tray side wall(s) that aremoveably coupled to the fan tray base 402. In the illustratedembodiment, a fan tray side wall 412 is rotatably coupled to the fantray base 402 adjacent the side edge 402 c, and a fan tray side wall 414is rotatably coupled to the fan tray base 402 adjacent the side edge 402d. For example, the fan tray side wall 412 includes a base portion 412 ahaving a pair of fan system guides 412 b that extend from opposite edgesof the base portion 412 a and that each include a rotatable couplingmember 412 c to provide the rotatable coupling members 412 c adjacent anedge of, and on opposite sides of, the base portion 412 a. As can beseen, the pair of rotatable coupling members 412 c are configured tocouple to rotatable coupling features 416 that are provided adjacent theside edge 402 d on the fan tray base 402. The fan tray side wall 412also defines a handling element 412 d that, in the illustratedembodiment, is provided by a finger hole that is centrally located onthe fan tray side wall 412. A fan tray securing subsystem is included onthe fan tray side wall 412 and, in the illustrated embodiment, isprovided by a securing element 412 e that is coupled to a securing edge412 f on the fan tray side wall 412 by a securing housing 412 g. Anairflow directing member 412 h is coupled to the surface of the fan trayside wall 412 that is opposite the fan tray side wall 412 from the thefan tray base 412.

Similarly, the fan tray side wall 414 includes a base portion 414 ahaving a pair of fan system guides 414 b that extend from opposite edgesof the base portion 414 a and that each include a rotatable couplingmember 414 c to provide the rotatable coupling members 414 c adjacent anedge of, and on opposite sides of, the base portion 414 a. As can beseen, the pair of rotatable coupling members 414 c are configured tocouple to rotatable coupling features 418 that are provided adjacent theside edge 402 c on the fan tray base 402. The fan tray side wall 414also defines a handling element 414 d that, in the illustratedembodiment, is provided by a finger hole that is centrally located onthe fan tray side wall 414. A fan tray securing subsystem is included onthe fan tray side wall 414 and, in the illustrated embodiment, isprovided by a securing element 414 e that is coupled to a securing edge414 f on the fan tray side wall 414 by a securing housing 414 g. Anairflow directing member 414 h is coupled to the surface of the fan trayside wall 414 that is opposite the fan tray side wall 414 from themajority of the fan tray base 414.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4A, 4D, and 4E, the coupling of the rotatablecoupling members 412 c on the fan tray side wall 412 to the rotatablecoupling features 416 on the fan tray base 402 provide for rotation ofthe fan tray side wall 412 relative to the fan tray base 402 in adirection B from a first orientation in which the fan tray side wall 412is substantially perpendicular to the fan tray base 402 (illustrated inFIG. 4D), to a second orientation in which the fan tray side wall 412 issubstantially parallel to the fan tray base 402 (illustrated in FIG.4E.) Similarly, the coupling of the rotatable coupling members 414 c onthe fan tray side wall 414 to the rotatable coupling features 418 on thefan tray base 402 provide for rotation of the fan tray side wall 414relative to the fan tray base 402 in a direction C from a firstorientation in which the fan tray side wall 414 is substantiallyperpendicular to the fan tray base 402 (illustrated in FIG. 4D), to asecond orientation in which the fan tray side wall 414 is substantiallyparallel to the fan tray base 402 (illustrated in FIG. 4E.) However,while a specific fan tray system has been illustrated and described, oneof skill in the art in possession of the present disclosure willrecognize that fan tray systems may include different numbers ofcomponents, other types of components, different configurations ofcomponents, and/or perform the functionality described herein in adifferent manner while remaining within the scope of the presentdisclosure. For example, rather than the rotatable movement enabled bythe structures described herein, the fan tray side walls 412 and 414 maytranslate or perform other types of movement while remaining within thescope of the present disclosure.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an embodiment of a method 500 for providing afan tray system in a chassis is illustrated. As discussed below, thesystem and methods for the present disclosure provide a fan tray systemthat is configured to couple to a chassis without the use of a tool,along with fan tray side walls that may be moved relative to the chassis(when the fan tray system is coupled to that chassis) between a firstorientation and a second orientation to allow access to portions of, orcomponents in, the chassis that may be impeded when the fan tray sidewalls are in the first orientation. Furthermore, the fan tray side wallsprovide for the guiding of a fan system into the fan tray system toconnect to fan device connectors. Further still, the fan tray side wallmay include airflow directing members that engage the chassis when thefan tray side walls are in the first orientation, and that operate todirect air through the fan devices in the fan system. As such, one ofskill in the art in possession of the present disclosure will recognizethat the fan tray system described herein introduces a variety ofimprovements over conventional fan tray systems known in the art.

The method 500 begins at block 502 where a fan tray base is coupled to achassis. In an embodiment, at block 502, the fan tray system 400 may bepositioned adjacent the chassis 200 (e.g., by a user utilizing thehandling elements 412 d/414 d (finger holes in the illustratedembodiment) to hold the fan tray system 400) such that the fan tray base402 is located above the chassis 200 and adjacent the fan tray systemhousing 204 a defined by the chassis 200, as illustrated in FIG. 6A. Inthe embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6A, the fan tray side walls 412 and414 are illustrate as being positioned in the first orientation of FIG.4D when the fan tray system 400 is being positioned in the fan traysystem housing 204 a, but one of skill in the art in possession of thepresent disclosure will recognize that the fan tray side walls 412 and414 may be positioned in the second orientation of FIG. 4E when the fantray system 400 is being positioned in the fan tray system housing 204 awhile remaining within the scope of the present disclosure as well. Thefan tray system 400 may then be moved in a direction D such that the fantray system enters the fan tray system housing 204 a defined by thechassis 200, and continued movement of the fan tray system 400 in thedirection D will cause the keying system 208 (e.g., the pegs in thisembodiment) on the chassis 200 to engage the keying elements 402 e(e.g., the apertures in this embodiment) on the fan tray base 402 inorder to allow for proper orientation of the fan tray system 400 in thechassis 200, as illustrated in FIG. 6B. One of skill in the art inpossession of the present disclosure will recognize that the keyingsystem 208 and the keying elements 402 e may be configured to ensurethat the fan tray system 400 may only be coupled to the chassis 200 in asingle orientation (e.g., such that fan devices in a fan system 300coupled to the fan tray system 400 will direct air in a desireddirection.) With the fan tray system 400 positioned in the chassis 200,the system connectors 406 may be coupled to a system component in thechassis 200 (e.g., a fan system connector on a motherboard, notillustrated.) While not described in detail below, one of skill in theart in possession of the present disclosure will recognize that removalof the fan tray system 400 from the chassis 200 may be performed insubstantially the reverse of that described above (e.g., disconnectingthe system connectors 406 from the system component in the chassis 200,and using the handling elements 412 d/414 d (finger holes in theillustrated embodiment) to lift the fan tray system 400 out of thechassis 200.)

As can be seed in FIG. 6B, with the fan tray system 400 positioned inthe chassis 200 and the fan tray side wall 412 in the first orientation,the fan tray side wall 412 operates to impede access to the cable 205(i.e., the cable is located between the side wall 202 b of the chassis200 and the fan tray side wall 412.) Furthermore, one of skill in theart in possession of the present disclosure will recognize that a usermay wish to route other cabling and/or position other components betweenthe fan tray side wall 412 and the side wall 202 b of the chassis 200.Further still, component(s) in the chassis 200 may be positionedadjacent the fan tray side wall 412 when the fan tray side wall 412 isin the first orientation such that access to those component(s) isimpeded. For example, a motherboard positioned adjacent the fan traysystem 400 may include a connector that is located adjacent the fan trayside wall 412 when the fan tray side wall 412 is in the firstorientation such that access to that connector (e.g., the ability toconnect a cable to that connector) is impeded. While a few examplesdirected to the fan tray side wall 412 have been provided, the fan trayside wall 414 may operate in a similar manner. Furthermore, one of skillin the art in possession of the present disclosure will recognize thatwhen positioned in the first orientation, the fan tray side walls 412and 414 may impede access to components in the chassis 200 in a varietyof manners that will fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

The method 500 then proceeds to block 504 where a fan tray side wall ismoved relative to the fan tray base from a first orientation to a secondorientation. In an embodiment, at block 504, the fan tray side wall 412may be rotated (e.g., using the handling element 412 d), about thecoupling of the rotatable coupling members 412 c on the fan tray sidewall 412 to the rotatable coupling features 416 on the fan tray base 402and in the direction B from the first orientation illustrated in FIG. 4Dto the second orientation illustrated in FIG. 4E. Similarly, at block504, the fan tray side wall 414 may be rotated (e.g., using the handlingelement 414 d) about the coupling of the rotatable coupling members 414c on the fan tray side wall 414 to the rotatable coupling features 418on the fan tray base 402 and in the direction C from the firstorientation illustrated in FIG. 4D to the second orientation illustratedin FIG. 4E. As discussed above, while the illustrated embodiments focuson rotational movement of the fan tray side walls 412 and 414, othertypes of moveable couplings and movement (e.g., translational movement)at block 504 will fall within the scope of the present disclosure aswell.

The method 500 then proceeds to block 506 where at least one componentin the chassis is accessed with the fan tray side wall in the secondorientation. With reference to FIGS. 4E and 6B, one of skill in the artin possession of the present disclosure will recognize how, at block 506and with the fan tray side walls 412 and/or 414 in the secondorientation, a user may access components in the chassis 200 to whichaccess was impeded when the fan tray side walls 412 and/or 414 were inthe first orientation. For example, with the fan tray side wall 412 inthe second orientation illustrated in FIG. 4E, at block 506 a user mayaccess the cable 205 that runs along the side wall 202 b of the chassis200 (and that was previously located behind the fan tray side wall 412in the first orientation.) Furthermore, with the fan tray side wall 412in the second orientation illustrated in FIG. 4E, at block 506 a usermay access a connector on a motherboard that is positioned adjacent thefan tray system 400 in order to connect a cable to that connector (anaction that was previously impeded due to the positioned of the fan trayside wall 412 in the first orientation and immediately adjacent thatconnector.)

Furthermore, one of skill in the art in possession of the presentdisclosure will recognize how a user may position the fan tray sidewalls 412 and 414 in the second orientation similarly as above accordingto block 506 in order to position components adjacent (and/or extendcomponents past) the portion of the chassis 200 that defines the fantray system housing 204 a. For example, a user may move the fan trayside wall 412 from the first orientation to the second orientation inorder to route cables along the side wall 202 b of the chassis 200(e.g., cables that extend from a motherboard on a first side of the fantray system 400 to a storage system located opposite the fan tray system400 from the motherboard.) The routing of cables in this manner may becompared to conventional fan tray systems that provide a rigid channeladjacent the fan tray system through which cables must be forced forrouting, and it will be appreciated by one of skill in the art inpossession of the present disclosure that the movable fan tray sidewalls provide for much more intelligent cable routing and layering thanthose conventional fan tray systems, allowing a denser feature set viathe chassis 200. For example, in one experimental embodiment, aconventional fan tray system in the chassis 200 only permitted therouting of cabling for 8 Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) SolidState Drives (SSDs) in the chassis 200, while the fan tray system 400permitted the routing of cabling for 12 PCI SSDs in the chassis 200.

In another embodiment, a user may move the fan tray side wall 412 fromthe first orientation to the second orientation in order to positioncards in the chassis 200 adjacent the fan tray system 400. For example,if a user wishes to provide a set of PCI SSD devices in the chassis 200,they may move the fan tray side wall(s) 412 and 414 as discussed above,connect cabling to a backplane connector and a PCI SSD riser, andinstall the PCI SSD riser in the chassis 200. In comparison, conventionfan tray systems must be removed from the chassis in order to performthe same operation to install PCI SSD devices, greatly increasing thetime it takes to install PCI SSD devices in the chassis 200. As such, itshould be understood that movement of the fan tray side walls 412 and414 into the second orientation may be performed in order to positioncomponents that will later be impeded by the fan tray side walls 412 and414 in the first orientation, as well as to access components that arebeing impeded by the fan tray side walls 412 and 414 in the firstorientation.

The method 500 then proceeds to block 508 where the fan tray side wallis moved relative to the fan tray base from the second orientation tothe first orientation. With reference to FIGS. 4D, 4E, and 6B, at block508 the fan tray side wall 412 may be rotated (e.g., using the handlingelement 412 d) about the coupling of the rotatable coupling members 412c on the fan tray side wall 412 to the rotatable coupling features 416on the fan tray base 402 and from the second orientation illustrated inFIG. 4E and back to the first orientation illustrated in FIG. 4D.Similarly, at block 508, the fan tray side wall 414 may be rotated(e.g., using the handling element 414 d) about the coupling of therotatable coupling members 414 c on the fan tray side wall 414 to therotatable coupling features 418 on the fan tray base 402 and from thesecond orientation illustrated in FIG. 4E back to the first orientationillustrated in FIG. 4D. In an embodiment, rotation of the fan tray sidewalls 412 and 414 into the first orientation results in the securingelement 412 e on the fan tray securing subsystem of the fan tray sidewall 412 engaging the fan tray securing feature 206 on the side wall 202b of the chassis 202, and results in the securing element 414 e on thefan tray securing subsystem of the fan tray side wall 414 engaging asimilar fan tray securing feature on the side wall 202 c of the chassis202, in order to secure the fan tray side walls 412 and 414 to thechassis 200. With the fan tray side walls 412 and 414 secured to thechassis 200, the fan tray system 400 is secured to the chassis 200(e.g., the securing element 412 e and 414 e must be deactivated torelease them from the fan tray securing features on the chassis 200 inorder to move the fan tray side walls 412 and 414 out of the firstorientation, and/or remove the fan tray system 400 from the chassis200.)

Furthermore, rotation of the fan tray side walls 412 and 414 into thefirst orientation results in the air directing member 412 h on the fantray side wall 412 engaging the side wall 202 b of the chassis 200, andresults in the air directing member 414 h on the fan tray side wall 414engaging the side wall 202 c of the chassis 200. While not illustrated,one of skill in the art in possession of the present disclosure willrecognize that cabling in the chassis 200 may be routed through the anyof the cabling apertures 403 and/or cable routing members 410 in orderto extend that cabling through the fan tray system 400 as desired. Thecable aperture plugs 403 a discussed above may then be positioned in anycable aperture 403 that is not used to route cabling in such a manner.

With the fan tray system 400 secured in the chassis 200 as illustratedin FIG. 6B, the fan system 300 may then be coupled to the fan traysystem 400. For example, while FIG. 6A illustrates an exploded view ofthe fan system 300, one of skill in the art in possession of the presentdisclosure will recognize that the fan devices 304 a and 304 e may bepositioned in the fan device housing 302 a on the fan device chassis302, the fan devices 304 b and 304 f may be positioned in the fan devicehousing 302 b on the fan device chassis 302, the fan devices 304 c and304 g may be positioned in the fan device housing 302 c on the fandevice chassis 302, and the fan devices 304 d and 304 h may bepositioned in the fan device housing 302 d on the fan device chassis302. With the fan devices 302 a-h positioned in the fan device chassis302, the fan system 300 may be moved in the direction D into the fantray system 400 (that is secured in the chassis 200 as discussed above.)Movement of the fan system 300 into the fan tray chassis 400 causes thefan chassis 300 to engage the fan system guides 412 b on the fan trayside wall 412 and the fan system guides 414 b on the fan tray side wall414, which then operate to guide the fan system 300 (during itscontinued movement in the direction D) into the fan tray system 400until the connectors on the fan devices 302 a-h engage respectiveconnectors 404 in the fan tray system 400 in order to couple the fandevices 302 a-h to the system via the system connectors 406 (which, asdiscussed above, may be connected to a component in the chassis 200 suchas a motherboard.) While not explicitly illustrated, the securinghandles 303 on the fan system 300 may be used (e.g., in an unillustratedorientation in which they are perpendicular to the fan device chassis302) to hold and move the fan system 300 as discussed above, and thenutilized (e.g., by rotating them to the orientation illustrated in FIG.3) to secure the fan system 300 in the fan tray system 400 (e.g., viaengagement of the cam elements 303 a with the fan tray system 400.)

With the fan system 300 secured in the fan tray system 400, and the fantray system 400 secured in the chassis 200, the fan devices 302 a-h inthe fan system 300 may operate to move air through the chassis 200. Inresponse to the movement of the air through the chassis using the fandevices 302 a-h in the fan system 300, the air directing members 412 hand 414 h may operate to direct the airflow in the housing 204 of thechassis 200. For example, the engagement of the air directing members412 h and 414 h with the side walls 202 b and 202 c of the chassis 202,respectively, operates to block airflow between the fan tray side wall412 and the side wall 202 b and between the fan tray side wall 414 andthe side wall 202 c, respectively, and direct air through the fandevices 302 a-h. Furthermore, the cable aperture plugs 403 a located inthe cable apertures 403 may operate in a similar manner to direct theairflow in the housing 204 of the chassis 200 via the blocking ofairflow through cable apertures that are not being used to route cables.Furthermore, in some embodiments, the fan tray system 400 may engagecomponents in the chassis to secure the positioning of those components.For example, the fan tray system 400 may engage a motherboard in thechassis 200 to prevent motherboard movement during shock and vibrationevents.

Thus, systems and methods have been described that provide a fan traysystem that is configured to couple to a chassis without the use of atool, along with fan tray side walls that may be moved relative to thechassis from a first orientation and a second orientation to allowaccess to portions of, or components in, the chassis that may be impededwhen the fan tray side walls are in the first orientation. The tray sidewalls allow for the simplified routing of cables between the fan trayside walls and the side walls of the chassis, servicing access to cablesthat are positioned between the fan tray side walls and the side wallsof the chassis, and connector access to connectors that are locatedadjacent the fan tray side walls when those fan tray side walls are inthe first orientation. As such, the fan tray system described hereinintroduces improvements over conventional fan tray systems known in theart by providing for tool-less installation and removal of the fan traysystem, minimizing the steps needed to access components in the chassis,and routing cables within the chassis without impacting airflow whilealso allowing access to those cables once they are routed.

Although illustrative embodiments have been shown and described, a widerange of modification, change and substitution is contemplated in theforegoing disclosure and in some instances, some features of theembodiments may be employed without a corresponding use of otherfeatures. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims beconstrued broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of theembodiments disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fan tray system, comprising: a fan tray basethat is configured to couple to a chassis; at least one fan deviceconnector that is mounted to the fan tray base via a connector mountthat allows the at least one fan device connector to extend from the fantray base, wherein the at least one fan device connector is configuredto connect to each respective at least one fan device that is includedin a fan system; a fan tray side wall including at least one fan systemguide member that is configured to align the fan system for connectionwith each of the respective at least one fan device to the at least onefan device connector; and a moveable coupling connecting the fan trayside wall to the fan tray base, wherein the moveable coupling isconfigured to allow relative movement between the fan tray side wall andthe fan tray base such that: the fan tray side wall may be positioned ina first orientation when the fan tray base is coupled to the chassissuch that the fan tray side wall is positioned adjacent a chassis wallof the chassis and impedes access to at least one component in thechassis that requires access when the fan tray side wall is positionedadjacent the chassis wall; and the fan tray side wall may be moved to asecond orientation that is different than the first orientation and thatallows access to the at least one component in the chassis.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, further comprising: at least one airflow directingmember that is coupled to the fan tray side wall, wherein the at leastone airflow directing member is configured to engage the chassis wallwhen the fan tray side wall is positioned in the first orientation inorder to direct airflow.
 3. The system of claim 1, further comprising: aplurality of cabling apertures that are defined by the fan tray base,wherein a cabling aperture plug is positioned in at least one of theplurality of cabling apertures.
 4. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising: a fan tray securing subsystem that is located on the fantray side wall, wherein the fan tray securing subsystem is configured tois configured to engage the chassis wall when the fan tray side wall ispositioned in the first orientation in order to secure the fan tray basein the chassis.
 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising: at leastone computing system connector that is coupled to the at least one fandevice connector, wherein the at least one computing system connector isconfigured to connect to a system component that is located in thechassis when the fan tray base is coupled to the chassis.
 6. The systemof claim 1, wherein the fan tray side wall is a first fan tray side wallthat is connected to a first side of the fan tray base by a firstmoveable coupling that allows for positioning of the first fan tray sidewall adjacent a first chassis wall of the chassis to impede access to atleast one first component in the chassis, as well as movement of thefirst fan tray side wall to allow access to the at least one firstcomponent in the chassis, and wherein the system further comprises: asecond fan tray side wall that includes at least one fan system guidemember that is configured to align the fan system for connection to theat least one fan device connector; and a second moveable couplingconnecting the second fan tray side wall to a second side of the fantray base that is opposite the fan tray base from the first side,wherein the second moveable coupling is configured to allow relativemovement between the second fan tray side wall and the fan tray basesuch that: the second fan tray side wall may be positioned in a firstorientation when the fan tray base is coupled to the chassis such thatthe second fan tray side wall is positioned adjacent a second chassiswall of the chassis and impedes access to at least one second componentin the chassis; and the second fan tray side wall may be moved to asecond orientation that is different than the first orientation and thatallows access to the at least one second component in the chassis.
 7. AnInformation Handling System (IHS), comprising: a chassis that includes achassis wall; a cable routed immediately adjacent the chassis wall; afan tray base that is coupled to the chassis; at least one fan deviceconnector that is mounted to the fan tray base via a connector mountthat allows the at least one fan device connector to extend from the fantray base, wherein the at least one fan device connector is configuredto connect to each respective at least one fan device that is includedin a fan system; a fan tray side wall including at least one fan systemguide member that is configured to align the fan system for connectionwith each of the respective at least one fan device to the at least onefan device connector; and a moveable coupling connecting the fan trayside wall to the fan tray base, wherein the moveable coupling isconfigured to allow relative movement between the fan tray side wall andthe fan tray base such that: the fan tray side wall may be positioned ina first orientation such that the fan tray side wall is positionedadjacent the chassis wall and impedes access to the cable; and the fantray side wall may be moved to a second orientation that is differentthan the first orientation and that allows access to the cable.
 8. TheIHS of claim 7, further comprising: at least one airflow directingmember that is coupled to the fan tray side wall and that engages thechassis wall when the fan tray side wall is positioned in the firstorientation in order to direct airflow.
 9. The IHS of claim 7, furthercomprising: a plurality of cabling apertures that are defined by the fantray base, wherein a cable is located in at least one of the pluralityof cabling apertures, and wherein a cabling aperture plug is positionedin at least one of the plurality of cabling apertures.
 10. The IHS ofclaim 7, further comprising: a keying subsystem included in the chassis;and at least one keying element provided on the fan tray base, whereinthe at least one keying element engages the keying subsystem to orientthe fan tray base in the chassis.
 11. The IHS of claim 7, furthercomprising: a fan tray securing subsystem that is located on the fantray side wall and that engages the chassis wall when the fan tray sidewall is positioned in the first orientation to secure the fan tray basein the chassis.
 12. The IHS of claim 7, further comprising: at least onecomputing system connector that is coupled to the at least one fandevice connector, wherein the at least one computing system connector isconnected to a system component that is located in the chassis when thefan tray base is coupled to the chassis.
 13. The IHS of claim 7, whereinthe fan tray side wall is a first fan tray side wall that is connectedto a first side of the fan tray base by a first moveable coupling thatallows for positioning of the first fan tray side wall adjacent a firstchassis wall of the chassis to impede access to the cable, as well asmovement of the first fan tray side wall to allow access to the cable,and wherein the IHS further comprises: a second fan tray side wall thatincludes at least one fan system guide member that is configured toalign the fan system for connection to the at least one fan deviceconnector; and a second moveable coupling connecting the second fan trayside wall to a second side of the fan tray base that is opposite the fantray base from the first side, wherein the second moveable coupling isconfigured to allow relative movement between the second fan tray sidewall and the fan tray base such that: the second fan tray side wall maybe positioned in a first orientation such that the second fan tray sidewall is positioned adjacent the second chassis wall and impedes accessto at least one component in the chassis; and the second fan tray sidewall may be moved to a second orientation that is different than thefirst orientation and that allows access to the at least one componentin the chassis.
 14. A method for providing a fan tray system in achassis, comprising: providing a fan tray base that is coupled to achassis and that includes at least one fan system connector that ismounted to the fan tray base via a connector mount that allows the atleast one fan system connector to extend from the fan tray base whereinthe at least one fan system connector is configured to connect to a fansystem including at least one fan device; moving, relative the fan traybase and from a first orientation to a second orientation using amoveable coupling to the fan tray base, a fan tray side wall thatincludes at least one fan system guide member that is configured toalign the fan system for connection to the at least one fan systemconnector, wherein the first orientation of the fan tray side wallprovides the fan tray side wall adjacent a chassis wall of the chassissuch that the fan tray side wall impedes access to at least onecomponent in the chassis that requires access when the fan tray sidewall is positioned adjacent the chassis wall, and wherein the secondorientation of the fan tray side wall allows access to the at least onecomponent in the chassis; accessing the at least one component; andmoving, the fan tray side wall relative to the fan tray base and fromthe second orientation to the first orientation subsequent to accessingthe at least one component.
 15. The method of claim 14, furthercomprising: engaging at least one airflow directing member that iscoupled to the fan tray side wall with the chassis wall; and directingairflow using the at least one airflow directing member engaging thechassis wall.
 16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:positioning, in at least one of a plurality of cabling apertures thatare defined by the fan tray base, a cable; and positioning, in at leastone of the plurality of cabling apertures that are defined by the fantray base, a cabling aperture plug.
 17. The method of claim 14, furthercomprising: engaging, by at least one keying element provided on the fantray base, a keying subsystem included in the chassis to orient the fantray base in the chassis.
 18. The method of claim 14, furthercomprising: engaging, by a fan tray securing subsystem that is locatedon the fan tray side wall, the chassis wall when the fan tray side wallis positioned in the first orientation in order to secure the fan traybase in the chassis.
 19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:connecting, to a system component that is located in the chassis, atleast one computing system connector that is coupled to the at least onefan system connector.
 20. The method of claim 14, where the fan trayside wall is a first fan tray side wall that is connected to a firstside of the fan tray base by a first moveable coupling that allows forpositioning of the first fan tray side wall adjacent a first chassiswall of the chassis to impede access to at least one first component inthe chassis, as well as movement of the first fan tray side wall toallow access to the at least one first component in the chassis, andwherein the method further comprises: moving, relative the fan tray baseand from a first orientation to a second orientation using a secondmoveable coupling to the fan tray base, a second fan tray side wall thatincludes at least one fan system guide member that is configured toalign the fan system for connection to the at least one fan systemconnector, wherein the first orientation of the second fan tray sidewall provides the second fan tray side wall adjacent a second chassiswall of the chassis such that the second fan tray side wall impedesaccess to at least one second component in the chassis, and wherein thesecond orientation of the second fan tray side wall allows access to theat least one second component in the chassis; accessing the at least onesecond component; and moving, relative the fan tray base and from thesecond orientation to the first second orientation subsequent toaccessing the at least one component, the second fan tray side wall.